The Journey Home
by sailorgirl129
Summary: After salvation Chloe and Lois must come to terms with their new reality. SALVATION SPOILERS ties up loose ends at finale. This is my first fic, please be kind.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Warm arms, warm arms, and warm lips encircled her, keeping her safe, saying what words could not, and then they were gone, all so suddenly the warmth was gone that Lois fell forward a bit in her daze. And then walking forward again she spoke the one name that had been on her mind ever since those warm, familiar arms had encircled her…

"Clark." she said and then she smiled.

Clark was the blur, Smallville and the blur were one and the same, and soon memories of Clark flooded her mind, Clark kissing her, Clark smiling at her, Clark and his quick exits, his lame excuses, and then her thoughts turned toward the blur and Lois realized she needed a few answers and she knew exactly where to get them.

Minutes later she was standing in front of a tall, beautiful building and she remembered Chloe saying "If you are ever in serious trouble or need to talk to me about something life or death important you can come find me here." She looked down at the scrap of paper in her hand _' well this is it, 1632 Maple Avenue' _Lois took a deep breath and walked through the doors and towards the night watchman who was eyeing her suspiciously. "Hi." she said her voice quavering a little, the guard just raised his eyebrows, "Look I was just wondering where Chloe Sullivan's office is?" The guard's brow furrowed, then finally he said "the blonde right?" When she nodded he said "Oh yea, comes in at all hours day and night, but she and her associates have left specific instructions to not let just anybody go up to their office." He said arms crossed. "Well I'm not just anybody, I'm Lois Lane of the Daily Planet _and_ Chloe's cousin" she said in a huff, the man checked his roster and said with a little sarcasm "Amazingly you're actually on the list. Let me get a chauffer for you Miz. Lane." he said and then went on "take the first elevator all the way to the top." Lois smiled a little cheekily and headed for the elevators without a look back.

The elevator ride had been strange, a blue light had scanned over her when she pressed the top button and the elevator wouldn't start until it was done. But finally after what seemed like forever the elevator had stopped and opened onto a dark hallway. She stepped tentatively out into the darkness and called out softly for Chloe, but there was no response. She looked to her left and right before she noticed the French doors hiding in the gloom, she put a hand on one and it glided open immediately, still apprehensive about the feeling this place was giving off she looked into the room timidly and saw a lamp on across the room, it was small and only let off enough light for her to see her cousins blonde head, but that was enough to reassure her and she let out a sigh and started to walk towards Chloe only to be stopped when she heard her cousin give a muffled cry and a small sob, Lois couldn't stop from speaking now and she asked quietly "Chloe?" now hesitant in her approach, she walked forward.

At the sound of Lois's voice inside Watchtower Chloe jumped and looked at her cousin in surprise, and asked the first thing that came to mind, "How did you find me… Watchtower? Wait… how did you get up here?" Lois simply replied "you told me to come here if I had important questions, and right now my head is about to explode."

"I did?" questioned Chloe but when she saw the address written on a scrap of paper that Lois held out, written in her hand, she sighed. "Well I guess I did, but this really isn't a good time Lo." then she turned back towards the table where she had been sitting and wiped her eyes, trying to calm her breathing as the unbearable weight of the world pressed down on her again, and knew hot tears rolled down her cheeks as she once again realized she was all alone, both her best friends having been ripped from her in the same day. But Lois's next words brought her back from the recesses of her tormented mind.

"I know Clark is the blur." Lois blurted out, Chloe's eyes bulged and she whipped around "what?" then finding her composure she said "wait…what did you say?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"_I know Clark is the blur." Lois blurted out, Chloe's eyes bulged and she whipped around "what?" then finding her composure she said "wait…what did you say?"_

"I know Clark is the blur, please don't shut me out Chloe, please I just need to make sure I'm not losing my mind, please, just tell me the truth." she begged, but Chloe only looked at her dumbfounded, but realized that, it didn't matter anymore, the blur was never coming back and Lois deserved the whole story.

Chloe took a deep breath, "its really not my story to tell, but I guess there really isn't anyone left with the authority to make that decision" she said bitterly. At this comment Lois stiffened a little "what do you mean" she asked quietly. Chloe turned to her, irritated, her eyes red and puffy and said in anger "I mean there gone! and I'm alone."

They stood there in silence. Both looking at each other, letting Chloe's words sink in. Then with a sigh Chloe sat heavily at the table, her head in her hands as she rubbed her eyes. Lois still stood before her, several times she tried to speak, opening her mouth, her brow furrowed and then she would close it looking thoughtful and confused. Finally Chloe spoke, her voice broken "Oliver's gone. He was trying to restore our satellite hookup for watchtower a few hours ago, the team was in a pretty tight spot, and we were blind" she said shaking her head. She looked up at Lois for a moment and opened her mouth to speak again, but shook her head looking down at her feet "he got the wireless turned back on , but the minute I located him there were these… things surrounding him in the vents, and then he was gone." her voice husky with the sobs she was holding down. "well we've got to do something Chloe" said Lois all her own problems forgotten as she paced around the room "we cant just sit here feeling sorry for ourselves."

"Lois" Chloe said weakly as her cousin continued to pace "Now we'll need some help, maybe I could convince dady to…"

"Lois" Chloe said a little louder, and Lois stopped for a moment looking at Chloe, expectant yet irritated at an interruption to her planning. Chloe just shook her head, standing to face Lois "The team has been deployed Lois, we are rather good at this sort of thing, having had to track down Clark on several occasions, but still I… I don't know if were gonna be able to find him this time." she sat back down, quick footsteps came toward her and a consoling hand patted her shoulder and when she looked up Lois had a small smile on her face "All is not lost cuz, there's still time, and hope" Chloe smiled "your dying to hear about Clark" it was not a question but sheepishly Lois nodded "my head is about to explode with questions."

"You were right Lois, Clark is the blur, normally I would never betray his trust by confirming your suspicions, but I believe that you deserve to know… because he's not coming back.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: Thank you reviewers! I hope this story goes well. And i promise to post afton.

**Chapter 3**

_"You were right Lois, Clark is the blur, normally I would never betray his trust by confirming your suspicions, but I believe that you deserve to know… because he's not coming back._

Lois just sat there and for the second time that night she was speechless, "What? But I, I thought, but he…" and then she took a breath "he was only stopping Zod, he went after Zod right after he kissed me, trying to save people, just another mission, like always." Chloe ran a hand through her hair and thought to herself 'well_ this is going to take some explaining'_

"Lois, Clark is not just a meteor freak with a hero complex, he was born this way, and he was born with a destiny to save Earth, and its people. But Zod and his army was to powerful for Clark to stop, and he intends to win this fight not just give it his best shot and let the world burn." she said and at this moment, not too far away from Watchtower, on a rooftop Clark watched as the Kandorians ascended only to see that Zod remained.

"So Clark decided to lead them away" Zod's dagger swiped at Clarks chest, the golden rain splashing down around them as the blade tore through his shirt and then the skin beneath.

"He has chosen to sacrifice himself and go into exile with his people to protect humanity." In a flurry of fists and cloth both stand on the parapet, having shared words and threats, they fight for control of the Earth, before Clark, speaks one last time, "You already destroyed my first home. I won't let you take this one." and with one last look of defiance he lets go of the dagger and Zod rammed it into Clark's gut, thinking he had won, but as he fell from the roof courtyard Clark smiled in triumph as he watched Zod ascend. "Clark is gone; we will not see him again"

The two women were looking at the table, enveloped in their sadness, and then with a quiet, cracked voice "Why didn't he tell me? Why didn't he say goodbye?" and then Lois thought back to that kiss, involuntarily touching her lips, imagining she still felt the warmth of his lips there. Their kiss in the darkness, a kiss that melted masks and exposed them to each other so completely.

The kiss that said good-bye.

"He loves you Lois." said Chloe simply. "Ollie tried to convince him that he should tell you before he left, but Clark didn't want to hurt you, and he thought that by telling you his biggest secret, and then just tearing it away with his departure would be too much." and so they sat there in silence once again, at least of course until they heard the crackling of one of Chloe's two way radio's.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_ And so they sat there in silence once again, at least of course until they heard the crackling of one of Chloe's two way radios._

They looked at each other for a moment, eyes wide, and then Chloe jumped up and ran to one of her work tables, picking up the talkie quickly as Lois rushed over "Ollie is that you?" Chloe asked breathlessly into the device. There was silence for a moment until a voice decidedly not Oliver spoke "No Chloe I'm sorry, it's J'onn Jones." Chloe closed her eyes for a moment, taking a shaky breath as she wiped her eye "Hheyy J'onn, what going on?"

"I found him." was his only reply. Chloe smiled again and Lois's turned up just a little "Oliver?" asked Chloe hopefully, she couldn't help the joy that escaped in her voice. "No Chloe… it's… Clark" there was quiet at Watchtower, Lois's eyes bulged, and Chloe's jaw dropped "I'm coming up." J'onn concluded, before the line went dead.

Mere seconds later the double doors opened and there was J'onn Jones, known to Lois as only a police officer, supporting Clark with both his arms around his shoulders, his legs dragging behind, it looked as though he had collapsed moments ago. Both women rushed to help him, each grabbing one arm, when Lois gasped, having just noticed the dagger in Clark's side, and the skin around it soaked in blood. "Cchloe…" Lois stuttered as she pointed to the wound "oh God" she groaned "J'onn, I need you to go to Clark's rooftop, you know the church rooftop courtyard, you need to remove the Book of Rao from the crystal mechanism." J'onn simply nodded and then was gone, flying supersonic in his urgency.

Chloe and Lois lay Clark down on one of the long tables, Lois immediately sat next to him, cradling his head in her hands, trying to staunch the bleeding where she could "Oh Clark" she breathed, tears dripping down her cheeks, "you're a mess." As she looked back at his scraped face though she saw his eyelid's flutter "Clark?" she questioned and then when his brow furrowed slightly she said louder still "Clark!" His eyes opened slightly and his lips cracked into a small, pained smile when he saw the blurry face that loomed above him "Lois" he said and let out a sigh of contentment. "I didn't think… I would get the chance to see your face… one last time" he said with a smile. And this was where Chloe cut in "You're not dying Clark, not on my watch, J'onn is getting the Book of Rao and then you'll be safe, you'll survive." she said taking his other hand. He smiled at her and nodded quietly, before going back to looking at Lois, smiling at her and murmuring quietly "I love you." as her tears fell from her face to his, as she tried to be brave, tried to stay strong for Clark, hopeful for Clark, and patient for Clark as she waited for a miracle.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I dont own smallvill or it's characters**

**Chapter 5**

…_as her tears fell from her face to his, as she tried to be brave, tried to stay strong for Clark, hopeful for Clark, and patient for Clark as shereath returning to him waited for a miracle. _

Minutes passed like hours, each tick of the clock was agony for Clark's searing body, his breathing grew shallow, he was just barely on the edge of consciences and only slightly aware of Lois's cries becoming more panicked.

"We need to do something!" Lois yelled, her hands shaking and already covered in Clark's blood. Tears streaming down her face. "Lois just…" Chloe began but just then J'onn came roaring back in a red blur, holding the Book of Rao triumphantly above his head. But before Lois could let out even a sigh of relief, Chloe strode toward the table and wrenched the luminescent knife out of Clark's gut and flung it as far as she could. A golden light surrounded him, his eyes closed peaceful and Lois immediately stopped yelling at her cousin for such a fool hardy move, and watched in awe as the dark red wound sealed itself and Clark sat up quickly, breath returning to him in a _whoosh. _

Lois was silent, her mouth slightly open as she took in the events of that evening, and then there was Clark. Standing before her, staring at her, and now moving towards her, his tattered black uniform swaying slightly as he walked, and for the first time she took in the scope of what his shield really was. It was not just an emblem, or his mark left all around the city to instill hope, but this… this was him, all of him, the man she knew and the lonely vigilante.

"Lois?" he asked quietly, pulling her from her thoughts, she slowly closed her mouth and looked up into his eyes. His brow was creased and his eyes were lined with worry. '_Wait. Worry at my reaction or worry about my wellbeing? Ah what the hell._' then she ran forward and hugged him, tears running down her face as he pulled her into his arms and right off the ground "Don't ever do that to me again." she whispered in his ear as her body was racked with sobs. But Clark just held onto her tightly, putting his face in her hair and saying back just as quietly "I promise." and over and over again "I promise." or "I love you." as he swayed back and forth with the love of his life in his arms.

And in the shadows two figures stood, as they had always stood… hidden in part by darkness. J'onn looked over at Chloe, a woman he had known for only two years but already he had seen what she had been through, or at least in part, and he knew the pain she felt. The pain of loss, and the forced isolation afterward that they had both lived. Chloe was unstable, unpredictable, and usually… unreadable. But now, all he could see was fear and sadness, badly masked with a frail smile at Clark's unexpected return.

"We'll find him you know." Chloe turned, surprised by his voice, and for a second her mask fell, before it was locked firmly in place once again. "You don't have to hide from me Chloe, I can feel your sadness." her smile didn't make it to her eyes, but she did seem to relax, if only just a little. "J'onn." she said in a small voice "What if he's gone, what if we can't find him, what if he's…" but she couldn't carry on and J'onn put a hand on her shoulder. "We will search the land, the sky and the waters. We will search the reaches of outer space, but our team will _never _give up the searchand we will always be looking for any sign of Green Arrow." Chloe's smile became a little less strained and her eyes filled with tears. "And speaking of the search… Kal-El." he called, the couple broke apart and Clark looked over at them, his brow now furrowed. While Lois just took a small step back looking confused. "Ah, J'onn" Clark greeted with a smile, thanks for catching me out there, I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for you" he said shaking the Martian's hand. "Wait…you _caught_ him? Clark? The 6'4'' super dood in the room?" Lois questioned, looking at J'onn "We'll he was a little incapacitated to say the least, but there is another hero in distress now, one we owe quite a bit and I suggest we go rescue him." Jo'nn answered. Lois clammed up immediately but Clark just looked confused. "Wait… what? I know I've been gone a few hours but who has gone MIA now?"

"It's… Oliver." said Chloe quietly, talking for the first time to Clark since he had been revived. And he instantly paled. "What happened?" was his only reply. At these magic words Chloe sprung into action, walking quickly to her computer system. He was trying to set up a new watchtower satellite at the earth station after Zod cut the power, once Watchtower was up and running again I saw at least a dozen… attackers, 2 seconds later they were gone and so was Ollie, leaving behind this transmission, "Chloe!" they heard Oliver say, his voice panicked "they're not Kryptonian." and then the line went dead. They all looked at each other in silence before J'onn spoke "Well. I'm off to join the search party. Clark, I believe you have some explaining to do. Join us as soon as you can." and then the Martian man-hunter was gone in a flash of red.

The three stood there for another few moments before Clark began slowly "You're taking this better than I thought you would seeing as I just had a knife wound in my chest that spontaneously healed itself when the blade was removed. Soooo where should I begin?"


	6. Chapter 6

AN: sorry its taken me so long, i bought the complete 4th season of Smallville for half-price. And a Tom welling Marathon during finals week doesnt leave much time for writing. Next Chapter will be up faster. :)

**Chapter 6**

_Soooo where should I begin?"_

"The beginning would be nice." Said Lois with a nod " but I would also really like to know how this happened." She continued as she fingered the bloody tear in his shirt. He looked at her for a moment before taking a breath "I'm from another planet." Lois's eyes buldged. And Clark looked over her shoulder at Chloe with a pleading look for a moment but Chloe just gave him a small smile and a nod of encouragement. "It…it's called Krypton" he said hesitantly "it was destroyed some twenty years ago by Zod." At this her eyebrows rose still higher, but she did not dare to speak. "and, and I am the last son."

"Oh." Was all she said. And Clark looked at her, a hint of surprise on his face, "That's it? No yelling?"

"No." she said shortly. " I think I'll go home for a bit." She said and walked toward the doors, Clark and Chloe looking over her with expression going from surprise to worry. Before leaving she turned back, her hand resting on the door handle "thank you Smallville" she said and then she was gone.

They stood there together for a moment and then Clark took a step forward toward the door about to go after her when a small, yet firm hand held him back. "No Clark, you have to let her go, at least for now." She patted his arm. "We've all come round Clark, you just have to give her time." he let out a sigh, but Chloe looked up into his face and smiled "It's good to have you back Boy Scout." then she hugged him, and Clark broke into a smile as he held his oldest, most loyal friend.

Moments later though the weight of the world planted itself firmly upon their shoulders again and they sprang into action, there was still one hero to save and crime wasn't waiting around anymore.

"We need to get you back online Clark" said Chloe fully back in Watchtower mode as she walked over to one of her computers, handing him a Bluetooth, "now Oliver was last heard from here… at the Queen hook-up panel at the station" she said pointing to a building on the map.

"We have league members searching here, here, and here. A.C. is patrolling the pacific, Victor is a little landlocked so he's just searching the western United States at this point. Bart is zipping around doing who knows what, Dinah has Eastern Europe and Russia, Hawkman is systematically searching southern Europe then the Middle East and if he can…Asia. J'onn is sweeping the skies and space around Earth. Stargirl has the eastern US… sooo maybe South America for you?"

"Ok" he said quietly, then he touched her arm "we'll find him Chloe, I promise." with one final smile he was gone, the French doors blowing open in his wake, and Chloe allowed herself a sigh as she rested her hand on one of her hard wood tables. They would find him, the team was good at that, she just hoped her leather clad man would be alive when they did.

"Anything?" called a voice into the headset "no." came another somber reply. The team was losing hope. After the small joy that came at Clark's return the group had fallen back into the gloomy routine of searching for their missing commander. Clark had searched South America, there was not a trace of green leather, the pacific was empty of their friend, and Dinah had not seen heads or tails of him in Russia. Chloe was growing frantic again and had asked them to search again and again like he was a lost button in one of her drawers.

It had been two days, and for this group that was a long time. They were starting to get disillusioned that they would ever see their friend again, and each time Chloe tried to raise their spirit's a false sighting of Oliver would be reported and the troops would fall into depression again. Until once again, J'onn gave them hope.

He and Victor had been searching the northern US and Canada when they got a tip from local officials about a guy getting washed up on the Alaskan coast. He was so bruised and torn no one recognized him as Oliver Queen, let alone the Green Arrow. But that telltale hair of his and the quiver still strapped to his shoulder were enough for Victor and J'onn to identify him, and relay the message back to the weary group that "We've found him. I repeat, we've found him."


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Hey, here it is, the Chlollie chapter, I'm sorry if anyone doesn't like the Oliver/Chloe pairing, they can skip this chapter but I love them, both their individual character dynamics and their relationship chemistry. Don't worry Lois will be back next chapter and I will probably only have one or two more closing chapters. Please please review!

Disclaimer: I wish I owned smallville, sadly that's only a dream.

**Chapter 7**

"_We've found him. I repeat, we've found him." _

Hours later and Chloe was still smiling, still tearing up. J'onn and Victor were bringing him back to Metropolis slowly, so as not to hurt him anymore and had to resort to land travel. But after hours of waiting Oliver was almost here.

She heard the doors slide open slowly and turning she saw him, walking slowly toward her, unsupported as J'onn and Victor stepped into the background. Chloe was rooted to the spot for a moment before running towards him, stopping just short so she didn't hurt him. But Ollie smiled weakly and embraced her in a hug, tears running down both their faces as he put his face in her hair, breathing in the smell that was so uniquely Chloe. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again." they both said and shared a small laugh, the worry of a few moments ago long gone. "Did you really mean it?" he asked into her hair. Chloe had her face pressed against his chest, she stilled for a moment before nodding, looking up into Oliver's eyes, her own moist once again. "I love you. I love you so much Oliver." she said quickly before kissing him passionately, her body raked with sobs at his return. Oliver held her tightly his eyes closed shut as he drew a shaky breath "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I left you." But at that Chloe pulled back, a smile on her face, a look of wonderment in her eye "How could you have known" she said in patronizingly as she shook her head. "I'm just glad you're back" Chloe said as she put her face to his chest again. But it was at this point she realized just how ragged his breathing was.

"Oliver!" she gasped, stepping back from his embrace for a moment. He sagged without the support, his face was pale and a gash at his hairline had started bleeding again. She rushed back to his side and Victor came out of the shadows to prop up his injured friend. "Chloe, let's put him on the couch, he's been on his feet to long as it is." She nodded, "Oliver what have you gotten into this time?" she asked playfully. But he was still in pain and his charm was a little stinted "a mess of creatures as strong as the Kandorians." he replied before falling onto the couch with a sigh before he closed his eyes in exhaustion. Chloe just smiled softly and asked Victor quietly for a cloth and a bowl of water.

They sat there together, Oliver propped up on the couch with a pillow, a blanket resting on his legs as Chloe tended to him. Cleaning his wounds gently she worked at his broken body for hours and all the while he held her hand. Smiling softly he would rub his thumb across her hand, making sure she was still there, and Chloe would look at him, a smile tugging at her mouth as she tried to free her hand to no avail as Oliver would bring her small hand to his lips and kiss it softly before replacing it on his chest.

Finally Chloe was done, all the blood and grime removed from Ollie's chest and face and all his cuts and bruises were clean and bandaged. She stood admiring her handiwork with a smile on her face before Oliver threw off the blanket and tried to stand at which the smile left her face and she pushed him back on to the couch. "Don't even try that charming playboy smile Ollie, you're not leaving this couch until _**I **_say you can." she said firmly her hand still pressed against his chest to keep him on the couch, Oliver brought his hands up to hers and held them, pressing his lips to the palms "thank-you, but there's a world to save honey, and we don't have the assault tank anymore" he said quietly.

At this Chloe smiled and sat beside Oliver "That's where you're wrong Mr. Queen. Clark is still with us and has been spending the last few days looking for you Robin Hood. I think he can cover your hero duties another few days." she finished with a joking smile. "Well Boyscout outsmarted fate once again did he?" Oliver replied a smile in his eyes. "Well sort of, now he has the wrath of Lois to deal with." seeing his confusion Chloe added "she figured out his secret."

"Oh. … Well then he better ease her into it or they'll both end up hurt." he said and looked away. "That's what happened to the two of you isn't it?" Chloe said quietly, not really looking for an answer. Oliver just took her hands in his again and rubbed the kinks out of them. She looked at his hands, they were smooth but scarred, a constant reminder of his commitment to be a good person and help save the world but all she said was "Olllie what have you gotten into over the years?" holding up his hands so he could see the dark lines that marked his skin. He smiled "comes with the territory."

She smiled and left him then, there was a world that needed their help and she could not stand by anymore. Watchtower had returned, with Oliver to stand behind her. She took a calming breath at that thought. It had been a year, Jimmy was dead and she had mourned him. But now it was time to live again, and maybe, just maybe a certain blonde billionaire would help her remember how.


End file.
